Your eyes do not lie. Nor do your lips or fingers, really, but they aren’t exactly telling the truth either. Minute twisting of everyday words. “I’m fine” in every variation yet none of them quite touching upon the sadness and lost look in your eyes.
They meet mine as well as they can. They know what I see and they know I know that, too. Pleadings to please just let it go till you’re ready to reveal… What? Whatever it is. And so I blink once, slow, to let you know I understand. And so you change subjects, blatantly ignore questions you don’t want to answer and we play the game till you’re ready to speak.
Ahh. That game. How well I know it. How much I loathe it and how easily I can slip back into it now, despite having been on both sides and hating each. I never thought I’d have to play it with you.
But like it or not, here it is. The only thing to do at this point is ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach the longer this lasts. The pain at you shutting me out. Yet I’ve done it often enough, to you, to other people. Why shouldn’t you bear that right?
…Patience always has been my hardest virtue, but I know you too well to push. I know you too well to deny you this.
So we dance. And all I know is you’re the one leading.